


Little Bits at a Time

by ThunderDownOnGreenside



Category: Free!
Genre: Afterlife, Age Swap, Alternate Universe, Angst, Apologies, Awkwardness, Birthday Presents, Boys Kissing, Character Death, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Drabble Collection, Engagement, Established Relationship, Extended Metaphors, Fainting, Fanboy Rin, First Meetings, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Hurricane prequel, Insomnia, M/M, MikoRin, Pre-Slash, SeijuuRin, Seirin, Slash, Smitten Seijuurou, Swearing, Tags May Change, Team Dynamics, Valentine's Day Fluff, What is this pairing even called, analogies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-21
Updated: 2014-10-06
Packaged: 2018-01-09 11:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 8,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThunderDownOnGreenside/pseuds/ThunderDownOnGreenside
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a lot of work to keep it together, especially when one of you is in denial and the other is just confused and what the hell is going on. (A hodgepodge collection of my shorter, semi-unrelated MikoRin drabbles from tumblr)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crosswired

**Author's Note:**

> So these will all be shorter "chapters", most likely all less than 500 words. I think. Will be mostly MikoRin but some will include other characters and side pairings, so~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin Matsuoka is a jittery son of a bitch with a fighting instinct practically drilled into his bones and when the kid is surprised, he tends to punch things.

No, Rin is not his little prodigy. (Saying it like that kinda makes it sound kinky. Don’t say it like that.)

 

  
No, Rin is not his friend. (Not really. He sure is hot as hell, though.)

 

  
And no, Rin is NOT his roommate.

 

  
Thank  _God_.

 

  
He had really been worried that one day when Nitori had shown up to practice with a fucking  _black eye_ , not to mention completely prepared to _bitch slap_  the hell out of Matsuoka for stooping so low as to  _hit Nitori_ , but the first year had been quick to explain and honestly, Seijuurou didn’t even know what to think or feel after that.

 

  
He still isn’t sure, but by now, he certainly knows one thing.

 

  
Rin Matsuoka is a jittery son of a bitch with a fighting instinct practically drilled into his bones and when the kid is surprised, he tends to punch things.

 

  
Seijuurou has now figured that out the hard way.

 

  
So when he’s the one to show up to practice with a bite mark on his arm and a delightfully swollen cheek, none of the other members bother to question it. That’s just Rin, after all, and it doesn’t take much to freak him out. That doesn’t stop them from laughing about it, though.

 

  
They stop laughing when Seijuurou gives them all extra laps.

 


	2. Orbitals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It isn’t until he meets his captain that he remembers that the sun, is, in fact, a star too.

It was the stars that had attracted him as a child, not so much the planets. All those glittering lights strung up in the vastness of the sky, random yet patterned by some spectral hand, some faraway being with the power to position them there. They were bright, but just so; not glaring or blinding like the wretched sun.

 

  
Just like people, actually. He preferred the slighter ones, the ones that glowed but didn’t gleam, the ones that flickered but didn’t send up flares.

 

  
It isn’t until he meets his captain that he remembers that the sun, is, in fact, a star too.

 

  
Seijuurou is bright - too bright - and Rin wants to draw away, but he can’t. There’s something in him, gravity most likely, and he’s all caught up in it, swinging back only to swoop back in close on a tilted, damaged axis. If he were a planet, he’d be Jupiter, orange and red and huge and full of storms that still looked beautiful somehow.

 

  
_(If he were a planet, he’d be Venus. Too close, always too close, and burning up in the sun’s heat and trapped beneath the weight of his own pressure. Just this far from the calm of the earth but never quite reaching out far enough.)_

 

  
But being so close isn’t always so terrible.

 

  
Even when crushed and blocking out the sounds of annoying little Mercury spinning around and around without cease, he still takes comfort in the warmth of the golden star’s rays, every flare a welcome homing beacon.  _Home_. How he has discovered it in such a place, he will never know.

 

  
Home, not in green or blue, but in shining, warming gold.

 

  
In Seijuurou.


	3. The Theory of Contradictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seijuurou has decided that there is no one on earth who is quite like Rin.

Seijuurou has decided that there is no one on earth who is quite like Rin.

 

  
He’s a strange case indeed, from the fact that his physical attractiveness is oddly  _enhanced_  by his sharper teeth rather than detracted from to the idea that he is not one of those slacking kids with an attitude problem. (Well, he  _does_ have a major attitude problem, but that’s irrelevant in the classroom.)

 

  
Rin may be an asshat, a psychopath, and a self-absorbed basket case, but he’s also a hardworking, determined, and loyal son of a bitch with the guts to match. He’s the kind of guy who has figured out how to act like he doesn’t give a shit even when his heart is breaking; he’s the kind of guy who fends for himself even when he’d rather have a companion. He’s a mess of contradictions, a whole tangle of bright threads, all different colors and none of them adding up to the same things.

 

  
Sometimes he’s focused, like when he swims; other times, he’s all over the place, and that’s how you know it’s been a bad day. He’s relatively quiet on his own, but not subdued - not unless something is bothering him. He’s as strong as he is weak, as brave as he is cowardly, as caring as he is ruthless. He’s got a vicious streak a mile wide and a tender side that goes even further, but he’ll be damned before he lets anyone else see that.

 

  
Or at least, he tries. It took him long enough, but Seijuurou has pretty much figured his temperamental teammate out. That’s another thing - Rin acts like he’s so complicated, like he’s got dark designs and strange addictions and that he  _really doesn’t make sense, honestly_. Which is somewhat true; humans are complicated beings, and it’s not secret that some are worse than others.

 

  
But Rin responds to his efforts at helping him, drawing closer despite his mistrust. He likes it when people care. He likes it even more when they make the effort to despite everything else. He’s the kind of guy who puts up walls just to see who cares enough to climb over them.

 

  
It doesn’t always work. But, contradictory or not, Seijuurou is more than willing to try.


	4. Pretty Mouths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And that's about it.

"Yo. Captain Moron. Toss me a fucking pen."

 

  
“Okay, first thing: you will address me as  _Captain Mikoshiba_  or just  _Captain_. Or Seijuurou, I don’t give much of a shit about the formalities. You will not, however, call me Captain  _Moron_. That’s rude as hell and I don’t appreciate it. Also, don’t say fuck. It’s unbecoming.”

 

  
“You’re a riot. I’m going to say whatever the fuck I want to, okay,  _Captain_? Now for the last time, pass me a goddamn pen.”

 

  
“You did the thing again. Here’s your pen.”

 

  
“What thing?”

 

  
“The thing where you say something just to be a bitch and contradict me but do what I told you to do anyway. Or at least, half of it. It’s fucking hilarious.”

 

  
“Well, you did  _your_  thing again.”

 

  
“The hell are you talking about, Matsuoka?”

 

  
“The thing where you tell me not to do something and in the same breathe do it anyway.”

 

  
“Do what I fucking say, not what I fucking do.”

 

  
“I don’t - you…you’re laughing at me.”

 

  
“No I’m not.”

 

  
“Pfft. Just shut the fuck up and get back to your paperwork. We’ve still got a lot of shit to do.”

 

  
“Like you have the authority to be ordering me around.”

 

  
“Doesn’t matter. Idiot.”

 

  
“Jerk.”


	5. You Make Me Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all in the colors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Rin! :D

"Happy birthday, sweetie." Seijuurou beams at him, cheeks a little flushed and his eyes sparkling like he’s some kind of goddamn Disney princess. In his extended hands he holds a little box wrapped in strawberry-patterned paper and decorated with a sloppy bow.

 

 

 

Rin, for his part, is speechless.

 

 

 

He takes the present in silence, ignoring his boyfriend’s giddy excitement and fiddling with the paper, trying to open it without hurting it too badly. Regardless of the shoddy job, Seijuurou had obviously taken his time to try and do it right. That thought in itself is enough to send warm little shivers up his spine.

 

 

 

The warmth blooms in his chest too when he lifts the lid, rendered even less talkative than before.

 

 

 

"Do you like it?" Now Seijuurou sounds nervous, but he has no reason to be. The necklace is beautiful, a simple black cord supporting a small, blown glass pendant the color of the sun. It’s unassuming to most, but Rin knows that it matches the color of his boyfriend’s eyes perfectly.

 

 

 

"It’s perfect." He breathes, unable to say much else. "Where did…?"

 

 

 

The captain shrugs, glowing with pleasure.

 

 

 

"Market a couple weeks ago. Some lady was selling them in sets. I got one for myself, too." He tugs the cord around his neck to reveal a necklace similar to Rin’s, except his pendant is a familiar shade of wine-crimson. "I figured it was too good to pass up. So, happy birthday."

 

 

 

Rin kisses him harder than he ever has before.


	6. Double-Helix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How he has managed to fall so in love with such a bastard is entirely beyond him.

He can’t take his eyes off of him half the time.

 

  
The kid is  _glorious_ , a burning flare that’s hotter than hell and sent from heaven, genetically engineered with his hair and his eyes to drive Seijuurou absolutely _crazy_. How a simple lineup of purines and pyrimidines resulted in something so immaculate and incredible is beyond him, but he’s never been very good at biology anyway.

 

 

That’s Rin’s domain, cause he’s good at everything.

 

 

When it comes to DNA, the kid has got it made, but it’s so much more than that too. It’s raw talent in its purest form, it’s determination and a sheer doggedness that is barely matched by even the most stubborn of fellow athletes. Rin is unbelievable, enchanting as he is off-putting, as perfect as he is ridiculously flawed.

 

 

How he has managed to fall so in love with such a bastard is entirely beyond him.

 

 

(Or honestly, maybe it isn’t.)

 

 

It’s hard to fight it when he kisses him, and the realization that this amazing piece of work is  _his_  is more than enough to remind him that it doesn’t matter.


	7. Silly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having an established relationship doesn't really settle his nerves. Seijuurou just thinks he's silly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! :D

Simply put, this is  _so_  unlike him.

 

 

 

He has braced himself insistently against the door, palms flat against the smooth surface and his heart beating  _straight_  out of his fucking chest. What has he done. Oh  _God_  what has he done.

 

 

 

Someone knocks and he nearly screams, his eyes squeezing shut in some form of embarrassment as he tries to rationalize the situation. It doesn’t have to be him. It could be Nitori. It could be some other teammate needing help with homework. It could be-

 

 

 

"…Matsuoka?"

 

 

 

 _Shit_.

 

 

 

"Go away!" Rin inwardly curses at the strangled,  _totally_  nonchalant sound that his voice makes. “I’ll see you tomorrow at practice, okay captain?”

 

 

 

"Rin…" Seijuurou sighs out in the hall, and the younger can hear the soft sound of his forehead hitting the door. "We’re already dating, remember? You don’t have to be so nervous."

 

 

 

There’s a long, dramatic pause, and for a good while the captain thinks that his teammate is seriously going to leave him sitting out in the hallway for a thousand years rather than face him - but then the door creaks open a little bit, revealing a sliver of Rin’s bright red face through the opening.

 

 

 

Seijuurou can’t help but grin as he thrusts his right hand forward, a sloppily wrapped little box sitting on his palm, his own present that he received from Rin earlier still held tightly in his left.

 

 

 

"Happy Valentine’s Day, Rin."

 

 

 


	8. One-Eighty Degrees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My, how the tables have turned.

_Goddamn_  this is a bad idea but he’s going to  _do it._

  
At least, that’s what he’s been telling himself for the last ten minutes as he stands in relative indecision before his teammate’s door. Considering that this endeavor involves Rin and gaining his approval, he has every right to be hesitant -

 

  
-But on the other hand, he’s a man, dammit, he can handle this. He’s not scared of one kid, even if he is a little shit with a mean right hook. He has to do this, for the sake of his potential future with Gou, for the sake of all the dates he may never have, for the sake of - !

 

  
“Uh. Sorry captain, I didn’t see you there. You need something?”

 

  
And Seijuurou can’t breathe because  _what_.

 

  
 _When did Rin get hot_. It’s not even a question he can’t even wrap his head around it.

 

  
Just. There he is. Dressed up to go somewhere with his collared shirt and black vest and well-fitting dark jeans. Wow. Just wow. He’s seen the kid practically naked like a billion times and he’s  _just now_  noticing how incredibly good-looking he is. And wow, look at his hair! Has he ever seen it tied back like that before? It looks terrific, shoot, it looks freaking  _hot_.

 

  
Wait. Shit. ShitshitSHIT. What the hell is the matter with him? He can’t just start having these thoughts about a teammate! That’s horrible! Not to mention unfair to poor Rin, who certainly never did anything to inspire these impure thoughts currently running through his head-

 

  
“Captain?”

 

  
His realizes after a moment that his teammate is still waiting for him to talk. (The fact that he’s even still there is a miracle in itself.)

 

  
“Uh. Uhh. Right. I uh…I have a favor to ask of you!” He stutters ungracefully, and  _shoot_  this is  _so_  unlike him.

 

  
Rin raises a slender eyebrow, looking mildly nonplussed.

 

  
“Yeah?”

 

  
Seijuurou takes a deep breath, mentally steeling himself. It’s now or never, this is the moment, he can do this-!

 

  
“Would you like to go out with me sometime?”

 

  
_______________

 

  
Only later, after the initial “Is-this-a-joke/It-isn’t-I-swear” schtick and the actual answer that he managed to get out of him (it was an uncharacteristically shy “yes”, by the way) did Seijuurou remember that his original plan had been to beg Rin to let him take his sister out.

 

 

 _My, how the tables have turned_.

 


	9. If I Only Could

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He gets really lonely sometimes.

It never gets any easier, he realizes, and that scares him. The drumbeat of his heart never goes away, loud and insistent in his ears; that sick swoop that goes through his stomach when something turns out wrong never ceases to disarm him. It's all so _unpredictable_ and he fucking _hates it_ but he can't _stop_ because-

 

 

Because...

 

 

If he stops, he'll be alone.

 

 

And if there's anything that he's absolutely terrified of, it's being alone.

 

 

_(He's always known that, but he really figured it out recently, and it had scared him half to death.)_

 

 

Sometimes he has nightmares when he's in bed alone, when he isn't spending the night in Seijuurou's dorm and he's unable to think straight. More often than not, he stumbles through the dark to the room across the hall, clinging to the doorframe and trembling and somehow his boyfriend just _knows_ when he's breaking apart like that. Rin falls into his arms and just _shakes_ , panting and hardly unable to breathe and Seijuurou simply holds him, rocks him back and forth and leads him to his bed. Kisses the tears from his eyes until Rin can taste the salt on his lips, can feel the leftover wetness when his captain buries his face into the crook of his neck.

 

 

Sometimes it'll be in broad daylight and he'll just _crack_ , shutting down wherever he's standing and burying his head in his arms, unable to move until he feels Seijuurou's strong grip on his shoulders, grounding him, comforting him.

 

 

But sometimes he's alone and the other is nowhere to be found and that's when it gets scary, that's when it absolutely petrifies him.

 

 

That's when he realizes that he'd give almost anything to never be lonely again.


	10. Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He regrets everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a speculation on some prequel parts for Hurricane. I have no place to put them yet, and since they're all short, they'll just go here. I guess that means I'll be adding AUs to this XD

He should've seen it coming from a mile away. Screw that, make it a thousand miles. He should've felt it on the kid's way over here, should've been able to determine the sheer power of his unpredictability, his impossibility, his unbelievable ability to screw things up so badly that he doubted he'd ever see things the same again.

 

 

_(Of course, had it really been Rin who'd screwed it all up? Or had it been him?)_

 

 

It's impossible to tell now, of course. It's too late to change anything, and there's no way that he could go back now. Whatever had been there...whatever he'd shared with him...

 

 

_(Well, that was clearly unsalvageable now.)_

 

 

Seijuurou leans back against the wall, eyes closed and and fingers at his temples, hair still damp from his recent shower. He feels sick to his stomach, more than a little unsettled with himself and what he's been thinking about. It's been years since it happened. It's over. It's done. There's nothing that can be gone back to and fixed by this point.

 

 

_(It never gets any easier.)_

 

 

Not when he can still hear his lost teammate's voice, see the flash of his crimson eyes, feel his careful touch on his shoulder when the lights had long-since gone off. Seijuurou knows that he won't ever forget him, he can't get away from him, he can't breathe when he thinks about him. It breaks his fucking heart to remember these things. He rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands, legs drawn up on the bed with his elbows resting on his knees. He's spent a long time just trying to pull himself together.

 

 

_(He always fails.)_

 

 

Swallowing hard, Seijuurou decides that it's probably for the best if he just goes to bed. He'll try to sleep on it, if he can. He'll try to sleep...ignore the dreams, ignore the memories, ignore that faint, stirring feeling in his heart that comes around whenever he hears Rin's name.

 

 

_(It had been him. He definitely knows that now.)_


	11. Guiding Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And it's perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For my dear friend Lizzy on tumblr! I love you sweetie~ thank you for being such a wonderful friend!

Sunlight streams in through the curtains, little rays of warmth spilling into the room and gradually fanning across the sleeping forms of the two in the bed. One of them stirs at the silent intrusion, back arching in a languorous stretch; the other remains still, cuddled into their lover's chest. It's not too early to be up, but he's not quite there yet - not on his own, anyway.

Seijuurou smiles softly at the sight of Rin resting beside him, the frown lines usually present on his pretty face smoothed out by the relaxation of sleep. His hair is silky, fanned out on the pillow, and the older man can't help but run his fingers through it, watching the way that his lover's expression twitches slightly at the motion. The sunlight plays across Rin's delicately masculine features, shines bright red along the strands of his hair, and Seijuurou is honestly captivated by the quiet beauty emanating from him on this early morning.

 

"Rise and shine, sweetheart." He murmurs, kissing Rin's forehead and wrapping an arm around his slim waist. "Or are you still tired from last night?"

 

Rin mumbles incoherently in response and Seijuurou laughs indulgently, watching the way his lover's eyebrows furrow at the sound of his voice.

 

"Even if I was," the younger manages, cracking one eye open to glare balefully at the other, "Would that really stop you?"

 

Seijuurou laughs again, louder this time, and snuggles closer to Rin in a physical display of the constant cheer that just radiates out of him.

 

"Not really." He quips, and Rin mutters something suspicious but takes the treatment anyway, too tired to really care. Besides, he truly enjoys it, no matter what kind of front he likes to put out there.

 

They cuddle in comfortable silence for several minutes afterwards, Rin tucked against his lover's chest and Seijuurou playing absentmindedly with the younger's hair. Eventually, though, his fingers move away to trail careful touches up and down Rin's spine, drawing a little shiver out of him and earning himself a reproachful glare.

 

"Watch it with the touching, unless you want me to jump your bones like I did last night," Rin warns, and Seijuurou grins widely.

 

"And if I'm hoping for a little something like that?"

 

The younger frowns, rolling his eyes and looking away.

 

"You can't tease me like that."

 

"I've done worse," Seijuurou defends, smirking slightly at the memories. "Remember the time that I got you all hot and bothered in the showers after practice?"

 

Rin's gaze snaps back to him in a heartbeat, already jumping to his own defense.

 

"That was high school!"

 

"It was still amazing," The older man laughs, tapping his lover on the nose. "Just like the time we had sex in my car."

 

"Which time? We've done that plenty, if you'll recall."

 

"Every time."

 

Rin blushes slightly at that, looking away again but with less of a dramatic flair. Seijuurou smiles, ducking in to kiss him.

 

"Every day with you is amazing." He's serious, golden eyes bright like suns and searching his lover's face, memorizing it, sealing it away within his mind. "I love you, you know? We've been through a lot together, and I just...you deserve every great thing that's happened. For me, you _are_ every great thing that's happened. I wouldn't trade a single thing."

 

Rin's eyes are wide, lips parted slightly on a breath that got stuck somewhere halfway into his lungs. He can see the kindness on Seijuurou's face, can feel the closeness in the way that he holds him like he never wants to let go, can hear the repeated declarations of love and devotion even after the actual words have been replaced by successive ones. It's almost too much, but at the same time, it really isn't. It's Seijuurou.

 

And it's perfect.

 

"I love you too."

 

They don't talk much more after that, for what is there to say when it's better just to feel?


	12. Until Then

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I love you too. Now go home, Seijuurou. I'll be waiting for you. Until then..."

In retrospect, he'd always thought that dying would feel different.

 

In his younger years, he'd been terrified of it; once he'd passed his teens, he had begun to come to terms with its inevitability, understanding the nature of life and death and accepting the fact that all things must eventually come to an end.

 

(Three years ago he realized that some things end quicker than others.)

 

But now he's here, on the verge of what feels to be oblivion, and he's struggling. He doesn't want this, not now, not yet. How is this fair? It can't be his time yet! He's almost afraid, and that in itself is both terrifying and gravely upsetting.

 

(Had he been afraid too?)

 

A soft laugh breaks into his mind.

 

"No, not really."

 

He's alone in the dark, breathing heavily, trying and failing to discern where the voice is coming from.

 

"Who's there?"

 

They laugh again, gentle and kindly amused, the sound familiar and achingly soothing.

 

"I'm sure you can figure it out."

 

There's a light now, he can see it - there's something glowing in this darkness, warm and forgiving and again, almost painfully familiar. Seijuurou reaches out towards it and finds that he can move again, taking a few hesitant steps closer to the light.

 

"I wouldn't trust me on that one. I hit my head pretty hard back there."

 

A real laugh this time, and Seijuurou's heart skips a beat.

 

"You're fine, Seijuurou. It's going to be okay."

 

And now he can't breathe even though he may or may not be dying because the light has replaced the darkness and someone stands clear before him, longer red hair shining in the mysterious sunlight and glorious wine-colored eyes sparkling with mirth and love and a joyous smile on their face.

 

_Rin._

 

Seijuurou surges forward, catching his fiancé by the waist and twirling him around, completely enraptured by the way that Rin laughs in surprise, hair flying and eyes alight. He lets him down and holds him close, kissing him so deeply that the other is panting slightly when they part, face flushed with the thrill. Foreheads touching, Seijuurou drinks him in, recalling all the old nuances that had faded with time and noticing the new changes that the afterlife had brought in - less frown lines on the face, more luster to the hair. He's even more beautiful than he'd remembered him to be, which is saying something. Although anything would be better than the last time he'd seen Rin three years ago, deathly pale and terrifyingly still, hair splayed out behind him and blood everywhere-

 

"Am I...?"

 

Rin shakes his head, taking Seijuurou's hand in his own and idly watching as his fiancé runs a careful fingertip along the band of his engagement ring.

 

"No. It's not your time yet."

 

All of that fear, all of that fighting, and yet-

 

"Now that you're here, you don't want to go back?" He inquires, a lightly bitter smile gracing his features. "It's a rough game to play, I'll admit that. It's been hard...I miss you."

 

"Don't even." Seijuurou hugs him tightly, burying his face in Rin's hair. "I miss you more than anything. Not a single day goes by where I don't think about you."

 

"Same here." Rin's voice is muffled by his fiancé's broad shoulder. He pauses before adding, "I see you every day, you know."

 

"Glad to know you're looking out for me." Seijuurou starts, but then flinches at some phantom twinge of pain in his chest. "What the..."

 

"It's time." A heartbroken expression flits across Rin's face before he forces it away, shaking his head. There'll be time for that later. Now is no time to be selfish - just be patient. It will be a long time until then, but at least Seijuurou will be ready by that point.

 

"I have to leave?" There's an aching sort of longing in his fiancé's voice and Rin almost tells him what he wants to hear, just like when he was still alive. _Dammit, why did I have to be so stupid?_

 

"I'm sorry." He says truthfully, standing on tiptoe to press a kiss to Seijuurou's mouth. The older man kisses him back harder, fingers winding in his hair even as the pains come back, stronger this time.

 

"I love you." He manages, and Rin smiles even though tears are glittering tiny in the corners of his too-bright eyes.

 

"I love you too. Now go home, Seijuurou. I'll be waiting for you. Until then..."

 

Distantly, Seijuurou hears other voices, machinery going off, engines roaring to life somewhere in another place that isn't wrapped up in darkness. Rin's kiss lingers on his mouth like residual lightning, his last words there an echo inside of his mind.

 

_Until then._


	13. Stop Doing the Hot Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin is hot as fuck, but then again, what else is new?

He doesn't know what's wrong with him, but whatever it is, he is _so_ going to hell for it.

 

He really should've known better than to offer to help his boyfriend train; seriously, he can hardly withstand how sexy Rin is on a regular basis, let alone resist when the kid is _panting_ and _sweaty_ and his goddamn tank-top _is sticking to his abs like that_. All those little grunts of exertion and the way his fringe falls insistently into his face is just _killing_ Seijuurou. What was he thinking? Really, if anyone could actually get arrested for being too fucking hot, it would be Rin.

 

They're doing sit-ups right now (Both on Seijuurou's bed as the captain holds Rin's legs to keep him from sliding) and the older male is literally ten seconds away from pushing between his boyfriend's thighs and just fucking _making out with him or something because seriously he's about to lose his mind because Rin is way too hot._

 

(He could take him like this, he realizes, just lunge forward and pin him down and kiss him even more breathless than before, slip that tight shirt right off of him and just touch him all over and turn him into a writhing mess just like he did last week when they last - last week? That's how long it's been? What the-!)

 

"You okay?" His boyfriend grunts and Seijuurou very nearly screams because being jerked out of his fantasies by a sound like _that_ is not doing _anything_ for his self-control.

 

"Yeah." He manages, studiously ignoring Rin's quirked eyebrow of disbelief. Just a few more rounds of this, then he could kick his boyfriend out and not bother him with all of his-

 

"Hey."

 

Seijuurou looks down at his teammate, somewhat surprised.

 

"Yeah?"

 

Rin rolls his eyes at the oddly innocent look on his captain's face as he settles deeper into the mattress, sighing deeply and folding his arms behind his head. Seijuurou watches with poorly disguised fascination as a little smirk spreads across his boyfriend's face.

 

"Wanna make out?"

 

"Fuck Matsuoka, I though you would never ask." He breathes, crawling forward and kissing Rin fiercely, unable to stop himself from grinning at his boyfriend's muffled laugh of amusement.


	14. Bedazzled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be that as it may, he’s definitely feeling pretty faint, maybe even a little lightheaded. Dazzled? Absolutely. Starstruck? Like a teenage girl at an idol concert. Smitten?
> 
> Completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the darling anon on tumblr who requested an age-switch where Gou is the older sibling and Rin is the younger one! (Plus I just really liked the thought of Rin being a potential fanboy XD )

If Rin were any less of a man (and he’s a man, dammit) he would be swooning right now.

 

Be that as it may, he’s definitely feeling pretty faint, maybe even a little lightheaded. Dazzled? Absolutely. Starstruck? Like a teenage girl at an idol concert. Smitten?

 

Completely.  


 

He’s probably staring; scratch that, he’s definitely staring, pretty eyes wide with awe and admiration. The older boy standing with his sister is _glorious_ , one tall stretch of muscles and and long legs and broad shoulders, red hair swept back casually and golden eyes alight with enthusiasm. He’s perfect.

 

"Ah, Rin! I didn’t see you there!"

 

The first-year gulps, barely recognizing his sister’s acknowledgement because The Sexiest Man Alive has just turned his way to greet him, grinning easily and brightly, jacket slung casually over his shoulder and screw being a man, Houston this ship is going down because there is no blood left in Rin’s head.

 

"R-Rin?!" Gou lets out a shriek as her brother pitches forward, reaching out to try and break his fall, but her friend is faster, darting in to catch the collapsing first-year with all the dexterity of a star athlete. (Which he pretty much is, anyway.)

 

"Whoa there, buddy. You okay?"

 

Oh heavens his voice is like chocolate rain and sunshine and everything he loves in life and Rin sighs delightedly, snuggling deeper into the older boy’s hold.

 

"Gou? Is your brother okay?" Her friend is genuinely worried, eyebrows furrowing in concern as he glances down at the half-delirious fifteen year old presently cushioned in his arms.

 

"Seijuurou, I think he’s just being silly." Gou is cautiously optimistic but laughs at both their antics anyway, fondly watching the way that Seijuurou checks Rin’s temperature with the back of his hand, a light frown on his lips.

 

"Gou?" the younger boy murmurs distractedly, eyes closed with a vaguely bewildered smile on his face. "Your friend is really hot."

 

Seijuurou’s embarrassed yelp is lost within the sounds of Gou’s hysterical laughter.


	15. And to See the Sun is Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin is like a flower.

There isn't anyone quite like Rin Matsuoka. 

 

Most people don't follow those same patterns of growth and development, angry one moment and alive the next, always running, always fighting, never stopping to breathe but somehow pushing forwards with as much strength - if not more - as the rest of them.

 

You don't get to be a captain at Samezuka for nothing, and he may be a kid like the rest of them, but one thing that Seijuurou can claim is his good judgement of character. Rin may be many strange threads of varying complexities, but he's not impossible to figure out. It just...takes a bit of time.

 

But by now, Seijuurou has learned to see his teammate in a very different light, one that he never would've considered originally between the sharp words and the even sharper teeth.

 

Rin is like a flower.

 

That's probably the weirdest analogy he's ever come up with, but Rin is weird and it somehow _works_ , okay?

 

But really. Always working, always trying, starting small and growing, growing, growing. He stretches, expands, reaches up and out and over, long arms and long legs and determination seared into the muscles packed along his strangely graceful frame. The arch of his back is like the proud stem of a young plant, one that has just pushed its way up through the dirt and is seeing the sun for the first time, awash in its glory and suddenly capable of so much more.

 

And Rin is more than that, too; he shoves his way through concrete, clawing up past asphalt and spitting up gravel and overturning rocks just to reach his rightful place. He digs into the earth and stands his ground like an ancient tree, unyielding and fierce despite the prehistoric storms and torrential forces that beat at him. He's incredible in that way, and Seijuurou is still awed by it. He can't help it. Rin is a force of nature.

 

And like any flower, his teammate falters in his steps at times; the heat becomes stifling, the ground too unforgiving, the rains too heavy and near impossible to withstand. At times, Seijuurou fears that it'll be too much, and that one of these days Rin will be swept away by the all-consuming power of everything that seeks to destroy him.

 

But then the sun comes out and his teammate rises again, stronger than ever, bright and alive and just _incredible_. And then he blooms, crimson and coral and brilliant shades of vermillion down to dusky hues of violet, all the colors vibrating with energy and practically singing with vitality. He's stronger than the forces intent on breaking him, more resilient than the powers always looking to tear him down. It makes Seijuurou ridiculously, unbelievably proud. He can't help himself.

 

____________________________________________________

 

_"...a flower, huh?"_

_"Y-yeah, haha. Sorry that it's so cheesy, I just...yeah."_

_"...can I tell you something then?"_

_"Sure! What is it, Rin?"_

_"If I'm a flower, then...then you're my sun."_


	16. It's These Little Things That Light You Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Because I love you, and I always will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Needed a reason to write and I needed a pick-me up. Nothing better than tender fluff for wounded feels XD

Somehow Rin gets the feeling that he's never going to stop being awed by Seijuurou.

 

It doesn't matter how long they're together (or apart, God forbid) or how far away they are from each other or how _angry_ Rin may be, there's just something about that vermillion hair and those brilliant golden eyes and that damned amazing _smile_ that just kills him every time. Seijuurou is special, very special, and he has to hold onto that somehow.

 

Based on his boyfriend's common antics, however, Rin probably won't have to try very hard. For all intents and purposes, Seijuurou seems to completely and utterly adore him.

 

_(He does.)_

 

Every day it's the same; the sweet good morning kisses, the way he plays with Rin's hair, the surprise hugs between classes, the way he always shares his lunch...the younger make knows how lucky he is and how incredible his captain can be and sometimes it's almost too much for him. Who is he to deserve someone like Seijuurou? Who is he to deserve such love and affection and attention every day of his life? What makes him so special? What makes him worth any of this with his attitude problems and his insecurities and his quiet, aching fears that he'll never actually be worth as much as he wants to be? 

 

But somehow Seijuurou just _knows_ these things, like he does everything else about Rin.

 

When he's feeling unworthy, he'll give him little compliments. He'll play with hair and marvel at the texture, hug him tightly and affectionately comment on his build, press careful kisses to his mouth and forehead and the tip of his nose and laugh in delight at the "adorable expressions" on the younger man's face.

 

When he's acting out, Seijuurou will catch his hand and take him aside, he'll hold him until the tears stop coming, he'll rub his back and quietly get him through the haze of red around his vision.

 

When he's feeling insecure, they go out. They'll take a walk or Seijuurou will take him to his favorite restaurant or they'll go someplace quiet and just sit close to each other, Rin wrapped up in a coat and a scarf and his captain always smiling at him, always laughing and reaching out and letting him know that it's all okay.

 

And when he's lonely and afraid and ready to give up, Seijuurou grips him by the shoulders and kisses him fiercely, reminds him between one that he is. Not. _Useless_ and that he will. Be. _Happy_. He holds him tightly and strokes his hair and tells him that he's worth it over and over and over again, and then he tells him why.

 

_"Because I can never stop thinking about you."_

 

_"Because you're amazing."_

 

_"Because you're the most beautiful person I've ever met."_

 

_"Because every time I see you, I smile."_

 

_"Because you're one of the best things that ever happened to me."_

 

 _"Because I think about having a future with you and it_ works. _"_

 

_"Because I want you to stay with me."_

 

_"Because I want you to be happy."_

 

_"Because of the way your face lights up when I call your name."_

 

_"Because of the way that you take care of yourself."_

 

_"Because of the way you love your sister."_

 

 _"Because I just_ want you _so damn much."_

 

And then he'll lean down and kiss him once more, gently, softly, lingeringly. 

 

_"Because I love you, and I always will."_


	17. Of Course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did you miss me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A welcome back present for my friend on tumblr~ you've been missed! 
> 
> Trying something a little different with this one, a more removed style if you will! I'm just doing test runs XD

It starts to rain when he leaves the airport, water pouring down in icy cold sheets and yeah, he's definitely home now. He bundles up his coat and ducks under his umbrella with the practiced ease of a man seasoned by many rainy days, making his way down the sidewalk with his small suitcase in careful tow. 

 

_(Even two weeks has been way too long)_

 

Hailing a taxi takes some more work, but that's probably due to the weather. The driver is a lot more receptive when he says that he only needs a ride to the train station, and during the quiet of the drive he can't stop looking at his phone.

 

_(Love you. Can't wait till you get home!)_

 

Paying his fine and exiting the vehicle, he makes his way with quick steps to the shelter of the station, shaking out his umbrella a respectable distance away from everyone before moving to wait for the next train. It's kind of late, but it won't be too bad - he knows for a fact that the other is staying up waiting for him.

 

_(Don't forget to call, okay?)_

 

The train ride is a long one, an hour at least and rather tiring. He power-naps for brief intervals, unable to stop himself from stealing those little snippets of rest before the train rumbles to a coordinated stop at his chosen exit. This is it. He's so close that he's grinning like an idiot all over again.

 

_(You going to miss me?)_

 

Rejuvenated by the combination of excitement and sleep, he makes his way down the platform and to the sidewalk with a slight spring to his step. The rain has stopped too, which is a nice surprise - it seems like he missed the end of the storm, which is always a helpful thing. 

 

_(...Of course.)_

 

The lights in the apartment building glow like lanterns overhead and he smiles again, closing the last stretch of distance with a light jog. He counts the windows (four up and two to the left) and laughs quietly to himself when he sees that the light is on. 

 

_(So he did stay up to wait after all.)_

 

The lobby and the elevator are obstacles that take forever to overcome, strangely enough, and he can't help but be impatient as he waits for the floors to tick by. Fourth floor, two doors down...

 

_Knock knock knock_

 

There's movement inside the room (a gasp, a thump, a muffled curse) and the door flings open as he suddenly finds himself with an armful of the other, arms flung around his neck and body pressed against his own. They stand there for a moment in the hallway, content, unmoving, quiet-

 

"Welcome home, Seijuurou."

 

The older man laughs, shifting Rin backwards to kiss him gently before he pulls him in for another hug.

 

"Did you miss me?"

 

"...of course."


	18. Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a start, at least.

They have a couch, a bed, a TV, a couple of shelves, and a whole ton of boxes stacked in the corner containing currently homeless junk. The lamp on the side table has been broken three times in the many attempts to silence the alarm clock, and recently the showerhead has stopped putting out hot water after 11:00 pm, which is a real shame because that's when he gets home sometimes.

 

It's a start, at least.

 

"Seijuurou, dinner's ready! Get your ass out here!" Rin hollers obnoxiously from the kitchen, smirking at the muffled curse his boyfriend lets out when he stubs his toe against the bookshelf again. He comes limping into the kitchen with a cloudy look on his face; that won't do, and Rin swings around into his personal space to alleviate it.

 

"Why do we have that bookshelf in the hallway, anyway?" The older man mutters into the kiss, and Rin laughs at the disgruntled tone, standing in tiptoe to kiss Seijuurou's forehead.

 

"There's no room anywhere else, in case you haven't noticed." He says easily, nudging his boyfriend in the direction of the table. "Sit down, you need to eat."

 

"Yeah, yeah." Seijuurou bumps Rin back with his hip before sitting like he'd been told, folding his arms and propping his chin up on his hand, watching the other as he moves around the tiny space, filling bowls and squeezing between the counter and the table. When Rin notices him watching, he raises an eyebrow.

 

"You need something?"

 

Seijuurou laughs, reaching out to tug his boyfriend down to his level for a quick kiss.

 

"Only you, I'm thinking."


	19. These Words Were Written Just for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These things take time, but that's okay; he isn't planning on leaving anytime soon, anyway.

Sometimes he forgets how amazing Rin is.

 

Other times, he smacks himself in the face because _jeez_ , what kind of an idiot must he be to forget something like that? He sees him every day, thinks about him all the time, talks about him twice as often even though that's _impossible_ , but obviously, the laws of possibility haven't met Rin yet. The kid turns him into a total sap without even trying, and even though Seijuurou is naturally a sweet, cheerful guy with an affinity for cute things, being around Rin only makes his sentimentality that much worse.

 

It's silly stuff, like the way that his brow furrows when he's concentrating or that he looks away all indignant when Seijuurou teases him. He loves how he shifts his weight with his hips as well as his legs, moving from foot to foot and just somehow staying casual about it. He uses his teeth to help roll his sleeves up when he works, he makes faces when his hair won't stay pulled back, and he always has time to give Seijuurou a look of complete and utter _I am so done with you right now_. Really, he's gotten so used to it now and it's just great, all of these little things as well as the big things.

 

Sometimes Rin just shakes his head and comments that he doesn't know what Seijuurou sees in him. For a time, it just confuses him because what the heck _doesn't_ he see in Rin, but after a while, it starts to upset him. 

 

Because Rin doesn't seem to notice all the beautiful, little things about himself that Seijuurou does. He doesn't even seem to think about it, but only in terms of his own person. He definitely notices these things in Seijuurou - _You look kinda cute when you do your hair, you could wear anything you wanted and you'd probably look great, did you know that your thing for fluffy blankets kinda makes me happy?_ \- but never himself.

 

Seijuurou figures that if he doesn't know or that if he doesn't think it's true, someone should tell him just in case it makes him happy. So that's what he does, and he does it often. 

 

_"I love the way you smile."_

 

_"Okay seriously where did you learn how to kiss because I am not doing you any justice right now."_

 

_"Could you sing that song again? Your voice sounds really nice."_

 

_"I honestly think that you'll look great no matter what you wear. Seriously, you're the hottest person I've ever seen in my entire life."_

 

_"...do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"_

 

_"I love you, okay? Nothing will change that. I love you just because I can and just because I do, and there's no strings or anything weird to it. It's that simple Rin, I swear."_

 

Sometimes, the way that Rin smiles at him makes Seijuurou feel like he finally believes him.


	20. You Would Be Surprised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are a lot less fragile than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This final little blurb is for my dear friend, Trio-san (Triomaxwell) who is absolutely one of the best fanfiction writers I've ever known. I'm so, so honored to be her friend, so I wanted to do a little something cute here XD Happy reading!

He’s gone over this at least a million times.

 

The second the other opens the door, he’s going to start saying what he’s rehearsed, exactly as planned and without any verbal discrepancies – _“I’m sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me, let me make it up to you somehow”_ – and hopefully not have to grovel for too long before he gets a response. Just because he's willing to pull out all the stops doesn't mean that it won't necessarily be embarrassing if he actually has to. If all goes well, there should be a positive reaction. Seijuurou isn’t cruel, after all, and it isn’t as though the fight had been that bad, anyway.

 

Well, not from a logical perspective, that is. But sometimes, Rin can be anything but logical and pretty much everyone is well-aware of that little factoid by now. 

 

Which is precisely why he bursts into impromptu tears the moment Seijuurou opens the door.

 

"Rin?" his boyfriend sounds absolutely terrified and _dammit_ , this is why Rin had tried to plan ahead for this. He thought that he'd accounted for everything, but it seems as though the mere sight of Seijuurou's face is more than enough to undo all of his careful decision-making. "Do...do you want to come in?"

 

The younger redhead nods furiously, not wanting to be seen by any of his classmates in this state. God knows what kind of rumors his teammates would spread, or even worse, Nitori would catch sight of him and turn into a blubbering leech again, latching onto him and basically trying to squeeze the tears out of him. For a bit, Rin had been afraid that he would never manage to detach the first-year from his body at all.

 

He's still crying when Seijuurou sits him on his bed, one hand on his shoulder and all possible words seemingly stuck in his throat. Both of them are kind of at a loss here, so Rin drags it out a little as he tries to come up with something good to say. _Better make this count._

 

"I'm sorry," he manages, wiping at his eyes with an extra-long jacket sleeve that he belatedly realizes is Seijuurou's. "I didn't mean any of that shit that I said. It just...came out somehow, I don't know. I'm stupid. Please don't be mad."

 

"Is that why you're crying?" Seijuurou asks, carefully moving Rin's hand away from his face and passing him some tissues instead. "Do you think I'm mad at you?"

 

What a question.

 

"Well...sort of?" Rin hiccups, clutching the tissues like a lifeline. "I said a lot of...shit. But..."

 

There's a pause, and Seijuurou reaches out again, draping one arm over Rin's shoulders and tugging him closer. He tucks him against his chest easily, shifting so that they're right next to each other on the bed, Rin's head settling on his broader shoulder and Seijuurou pressing a little kiss to his hair in reassurance.

 

"But what?"

 

The tears seem to take this as their cue to start up again, and Rin brushes at them furiously as he tries to speak around the lump in his throat.

 

"When I saw you, I...I got really scared. Like...like it was over because of what I'd said, but it didn't hit me until I could see you, and...I could fully realize what I might be losing. I didn't think. It...it could've cost me so much." he shifts back a bit to peer up at Seijuurou through watery eyes, trying to manage a little smile. "So...I'm sorry. And I understand."

 

Seijuurou surprises him by shaking his head, by leaning down and kissing him lightly on the cheek, by holding his face in his hands and saying with a soft laugh,

 

"No, I don't think you do."

 

Rin blinks up at him in confusion, silently willing him to elaborate. Seijuurou smiles.

 

"First of all, I'm not mad at you. At all. Maybe in the moment, but not anymore. What you said doesn't matter because, like you said, you didn't mean it. Does that clear some things up?" When Rin nods, he continues, nuzzling the younger's hair as he pulls him back into his arms. "Good. Because, just for the record, you're not losing anything." A laugh creeps into his voice again. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

 

Rin snorts into his shirt, cuddling even closer and unable to keep the slightly giddy smile from sneaking across his face. He feels so much lighter already, so much better about this whole thing - no one else could do that for him, not so easily. No one but Seijuurou.

 

"Don't be surprised, Rin." he murmurs, squeezing him a little tighter before easing up on his grip. "These things aren't as breakable as you fear they are."

 


End file.
